Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024 Jul;202(7):3128-3140. doi: 10.1007/s12011-023-03884-w. Epub 2023 Sep 30.
The widespread use and applications of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) in daily life make human exposure to these particles inevitable. This study was carried out to investigate the deteriorations in hepatic and serum biochemical parameters induced by CuO NPs in adult male mice and the potential ameliorative effect of L-arginine and quercetin, either alone or in combination. Seventy adult male mice were equally allocated into seven groups: untreated group, L-arginine, quercetin, CuO NPs, arginine + CuO NPs, quercetin + CuO NPs, and quercetin + arginine + CuO NPs. Treating mice with CuO NPs resulted in bioaccumulation of copper in the liver and consequent liver injury as typified by elevation of serum ALT activity, reduction in the synthetic ability of the liver indicated by a decrease in the hepatic arginase activity, and serum total protein content. This copper accumulation increased oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, inflammation, and apoptosis as manifested by elevation in malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α, the expression level of caspase-3 and bax quantified by qPCR, and the activity of caspase-3, in addition to the reduction of superoxide dismutase activity. It also resulted in severe DNA fragmentation as assessed by Comet assay and significant pathological changes in the liver architecture. The study proved the efficiency of quercetin and L-arginine in mitigating CuO NPs-induced sub-chronic liver toxicity due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties; ability to inhibit DNA damage; and the potential as good metal chelators. The results of histopathological analysis confirmed the biochemical and molecular studies.
氧化铜纳米粒子(CuO NPs)在日常生活中的广泛应用使得人类不可避免地会接触到这些粒子。本研究旨在探讨 CuO NPs 对成年雄性小鼠肝脏和血清生化参数的损害作用,以及 L-精氨酸和槲皮素单独或联合应用的潜在改善作用。将 70 只成年雄性小鼠等分为 7 组:未处理组、L-精氨酸组、槲皮素组、CuO NPs 组、L-精氨酸+CuO NPs 组、槲皮素+CuO NPs 组和槲皮素+L-精氨酸+CuO NPs 组。用 CuO NPs 处理小鼠导致铜在肝脏中的生物积累,进而导致肝脏损伤,表现为血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)活性升高、肝脏合成能力下降(表现为肝精氨酸酶活性降低)和血清总蛋白含量降低。这种铜积累增加了氧化应激、脂质过氧化、炎症和细胞凋亡,表现为丙二醛(MDA)、一氧化氮(NO)、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)升高,qPCR 定量的 caspase-3 和 bax 表达水平升高,caspase-3 活性升高,此外超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性降低。彗星试验评估的 DNA 片段化也很严重,肝脏结构发生了明显的病理变化。研究证明了槲皮素和 L-精氨酸在减轻 CuO NPs 诱导的亚慢性肝毒性方面的效率,这是由于它们的抗氧化、抗炎和抗凋亡特性;抑制 DNA 损伤的能力;以及作为良好金属螯合剂的潜力。组织病理学分析的结果证实了生化和分子研究的结果。